I recall from the then-regnant ethnocultural politics paradigm of the 70s that historians and political scientists posited that cultural politics tend to seize the public mind during relatively prosperous times when pocketbook issues are less important to the voters. This observation was applied to the 1920s, for example. It got me to wondering about the current wave of battle flag take-downs and removals of Confederate memorabilia from public spaces in the South. I've heard it mentioned in the commentariat that the killings in Charleston were but a catalyst to a growing black middle cla